How to avoid getting sick

A new campaign by the HSE aims to show young people how they can prevent the spread of infectious diseases at home, in school and elsewhere.

With so many kids getting colds and other respiratory diseases at this time of the year, the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has created eye-catching new posters which have been distributed to all schools as part of a resource pack.

Teaching children to sneeze and cough into their arm or elbow is an easy way to improve respiratory hygiene and to reduce the spread of infection. Having access to tissues is also important so kids can easily ‘catch it, bin it, kill it.’ Bacteria and viruses from hundreds of homes meet at crèches, schools and daycare centres every day. And what is the very best thing to spread these nasties among everyone? Look no further than the ten fingers on the end of your hands! Young children are at increased risk of getting infectious diseases because they:

Tend to sneeze and cough into their hands.

Are grouped together and are exposed to many new germs.

Have immune systems that are not fully developed to fight germs.

Have habits that spread germs such as thumb sucking, rubbing their eyes and putting things in their mouths.

The posters have versions for primary schools and secondary schools and both are available in Irish and English. There is also a useful online resource for teachers and parents at e-bug.eu, with fun and accessible information for all students around micro-organisms, as well as the spread, prevention and treatment of infection.